Mechanism for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms



0d; 29, 1935. c s x 2,018,808

MECHANISM FOR USE IN APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Fil ed May 10, 1934 Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED ST IWECHANISM FOR USE IN APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Application May 10, 1934, Serial No. 724,853 In Great Britain June 20, 1933 10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for pressing soles on the bottoms of shoes and is illustrated herein as embodied in a sole laying machine.

Various types of machines for pressing soles on the bottoms of shoes are in use at the present time, some of which utilize a solid rubber pad for applying pressure to the shoe bottoms, the pad being molded to conform substantially to the 1ongitudinal and transverse curvatures of the bottom of the shoe to be operated upon. Other machines of this character rely upon the use of a fluid-filled pad which is adapted to conform to a limited extent to the different curvatures of the shoe bottom during the sole-pressing operation.

In the use of machines which utilize previously molded solid rubber pads it is necessary, if the soles are to be pressed against the shoe bottoms with substantially uniform pressure irrespective of the styles of the shoes, that a number of such pads be available. each pad being molded to suit a particular style of shoe so that the pads may be changed when operating upon shoes the styles of which diner appreciably. Even with a number of such pads it is diiiicult to insure that the pres sure exerted by difierent portions of the molded pad against different portions of the sole will be as evenly distributed as is desired. Moreover, the necessity of interchanging the pads to suit the difierent styles of shoes places an additional burden on the operator and consumes a considerable amount of his time.

In sole-pressing machines which utilize fluidfilled pads the necessity of changing the pads to suit diiierent styles of shoes does not ordinarily arise since such pads are able to accommodate themselves more easily to the varying height wise curvatures of the different shoe bottoms.-

It has been found, however, that in order to enable such pads to accommodate themselves to widely varying styles of shoes, it is usually necessary to make the pads relatively deep so that shoes having pronounced variations in the longitudinal curvatures of their bottom surfaces may be sunk far enough into the pad to cause the latter to press against all portions of the shoe bottoms. Under such conditions there is a tendency for the portions of the pad which do not lie directly beneath the shoe bottom to bend or fold the marginal portions of the forepart of the sole which project beyond the edges of the shoe bottom upwardly toward the shoe upper, thereby producing a curled effect along the margin of the sole which is undesirable in shoes in which a flat forepart is required on the sole.

Objects of the present invention are to provide an improved sole-pressing machine having .a fluid-filled pad which will accommodate itself to various styles of shoes with greater ease and efiiciency than has been possible heretofore, and to provide improved means for supporting the pad so that it will have little or no tendency to bend the marginal portions of the forepart of the sole upwardly toward the shoe upper.

As illustrated herein and in accordance with a feature of the invention, there is provided a relatively shallow fluid-filled pad having a soleengaging surface molded to conform substantially to the heightwise and'transverse curvatures of a shoe bottom. The pad is supported in a twopart container, preferably of metal, one part or section of which engages and supports the forepart of the pad and the other section the shank and heel portions of the pad. The two sections are pivotally connected together by a hinge pin which extends transversely of the container .and is located lengthwise of the pad at a point which coincides substantially with the ball line of a shoe to be engaged by the pad. Since the two sections of the container pivot freely about the hinge pin, the forepart and heel portions of the pad may move relatively to each other about this pivot to adapt themselves to the angle between the forepart and the shank and heel portions of diiferent styles of shoes.

In accordance with another feature of the invention the pad and two-part container are supported upon a plurality of self-compensating or pressure-equalizing abutments some of which engage the forward section of the container and some the rear or heel section. The abutments are constructed and arranged to force each section of the container toward the shoe with substantially equal pressure during the sole-pressing operation so that after the pad has conformed to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom, the pressure of the pad will be distributed substantially uniformly-over the shoe bottom. To

this end the abutments are interconnected in such a manner that, as the pad is pressed against the shoe bottom, the abutments are caused to move relatively to each other heightwise of the pad to rotate the two sections of the container about the interconnecting hinge pin until the forepart of the pad and the shank and heel portions thereof are inclined at an angle which porresponds substantially to the angle between the forepart and the shank and heel portions of the shoe being operated upon. When the pad contacts with the shoe bottom and commences to apply pressure thereto it will first accommodate itself to the longitudinal curvature of the shoe bottom by reason of the hinged construction of the twopart container. As the pressure between the pad and the shoe bottom increases the interconnected abutments will force each section of the container toward the shoe with substantially equal pressure thereby assisting in distributing the pressure of the pad uniformly over the entire shoe bottom. The fluid inthe pad will'fur ther assist in equalizing the pressure by distributing itself in the pad in such a manner that the latter will press against all portions of the sole with substantially uniform pressure.

It will be seen from the above that such a construction eliminates the necessity of changing the pads to suit different styles of shoes. Moreover, since the conformation of the sole-engaging surface of the pad to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom is effected partly by the relative tipping of the forepart and heel portionsof the pad, and partly by the distortion of the soleengaging surface thereof, the present construction also eliminates the necessity of using a relatively deep pad to insure that pressure is applied uniformly to all portions of the shoe bottom.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. l is a side view, partly in section, of the pad container and pressure-applying mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pad and the container; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

The invention is illustrated herein as embodied in a sole-laying machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,549,243, granted Aug. 11, 1925, on an application filed in the name of Erastus E. Winkley.

As shown in the patent referred to, the machine is provided with relatively fixed but adjustable last and shoe-engaging members comprising a last pin Hi, arranged to enter the last pin hole in a last, and a rubber roll [2 adapted to press against, the toe portion of a shoe on the last, these last and shoe-engaging members being arranged to support the shoe with its bottom down and withthe general plane of the sole lying more or less horizontally. As disclosed in the patent mentioned, the machine is a twin or double machine arranged to accommodate two shoes and having a pair of rising and falling pressure-applying units or boxes 54 which are alternately raised and lowered by power to press soles against the bottoms of the shoes supported by the last and shoe-engaging members H! and I2.

Each'unit or box I4 is freely pivoted to a vertical slide frame (not shown) bypivots I6 extending widthwise of the box and located about midway between the opposite ends thereof. A box of the type illustrated herein is fully described in LettersPatent of the United States No. 942,133, granted Dec. 7, 1909, on an application filed in the name of Herman A. Davenport. As shown in that patent, each box I4 is provided with four abutments i8, 20, 22 and 24 which are supported respectively on'the upper ends of short vertical stems 25, 2B, 39 and 32. Thevertical stems have pairs of horizontal pins 34, 36, 38 and 40, respectively, projecting laterally therefrom, the two pairs of .pins 34 and 40 ofthe stems nearer each end of the box being received within slots formed in the opposite or outer ends of two separate pairs of short compensating levers 42 and 44. The two pairs ofpins 36 and 38 are engaged by similar slots formed in the inner or adjacent ends of the two pairs of compensating levers 42, 44. The'c'ompensating levers 42 'and44 are in turn connected by pin and slot connections 46, 48 with the opposite ends of a pair of pressure distributing levers50 which are themselves pivotally mounted on a transverse-pin 5| extending between ears 52 projecting upwardly from a carrier member 54 housed within the box I4 and urged upwardly by springs 56, 58 interposed between the carrier member and the bottom of the box. By such an arrangement downward pressure exerted by the heel portion of a shoe on the abutment 24, for example, will cause this abutment to descend in the carrier member and, through the compensating levers 44, will cause the abutment 22 to rise toward the shank portion of the shoe until the pressures exerted by the two abutments on the shoe bottom are substantially equal.

Similarly, downward pressure exerted by the ball portion of the shoe against the abutment 26 will cause this abutment to descend and, through the compensating levers 42, which interconnect this abutment with the abutment l8 at the toe end of the box, will cause the abutment 18 to rise until the pressures exerted by these two abutments are also substantially equal.

Since both pairs of compensating levers 42 and 44 are themselves coupled to the pair of pivoted pressure distributing levers 59, the two pairs of abutments will rise or fall bodily as the pressure distributing levers move about their pivots, there by causing a substantially even distribution of pressure against the forepart and the heel and shank portions of the shoe. Moreover, the box itself, being pivotally supported on the transverse pivots l6, as described above, can swing about these pivots further to assist in distributing the pressure uniformly over the shoe bottom. As shown in the Davenport patent referred to above, the abutment [8, which is located at the toe end of the shoe bottom, is supported on an arcuate bearing so that it can tilt about an axis extending widthwise of the box to aline itself with the upward inclination of the toe and of the shoe.

The four abutments in the present illustrative embodiment are arranged to support a fluidfilled sole-pressing pad 60 (Fig. 2) of a type similar to that disclosed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 673,651, filed May 31, I933, in the name of Sidney J. Finn. The pad 60 is slightly larger than the bottom of a large size shoe and is relatively shallow, being for example, only about one inch deep at the forepart. The bottom and side walls of the pad are made of relatively soft but thick rubber while the top of the pad is fairly hard and is permanently molded to such a transverse and heigh wise contour as will fit snugly against a shoe bottom before the pad pressed forcibly against the shoe. The top and side walls of the pad are reinforced with one or more layers of stout canvas 62 which serve to stiffen the side walls. To prevent the top wall of the pad from bulging excessively at the forepart, the pad is provided with a relatively stiif vertical web of rubber or canvas 64 which projects upwardly from the bottom of the pad and is united to the top wall of the pad. The web 64 lies centrally of the pad and extends longitudinally from the toe end of the pad to the forward end of its shank portion. The pad 60 is provided with a valve 58 which projects downwardly from the lower wall of the pad beneath its heel portion and through which the desired amount of fluid, for example, water, may be introduced into the pad prior to its assembly on the compensating abutments.

The pad 6!) is housed within a relatively shallow two-part support or container m, preferably of metal, in which the pad is held by a metal strip '12 secured by screws 14 to the upper edge of the sidewalls of the container and overlying the marginal portion of the'forepart of the pad. The two parts of the container it comprise a section 76 shaped to enclose the forepart of the pad from the toe end to about the ball line, that is, the location where the forepart of the pad merges into the shank portion thereof, and a section 18 shaped to enclose the rear portion of the pad including its shank and heel-seat portions. The two parts or sections l6, 18 are pivotally connected together by a hinge pin 88 extending widthwise of the pad and located substantially beneath the ball line, both sections being freely movable about the pin 86 in response to pressure exerted thereon during the solepressing operation.

The section 16 of the container has two rows of rounded ears 82 (Figs. 2 and 3) projecting downwardly from its bottom side, each row comprising three similar ears arranged in spaced relation widthwise of the container. One row of ears is located substantially at the extreme toe end of the pad and the other row is positioned just forwardly of the pin 89, that is, just in front of the ball line of the pad. The ears are formed three in a row instead of as one solid ear in order that the section of the container may be kept as light as possible.

The section 18 also has two rows of rounded cars 84 projecting downwardly from its bottom side, one row being arranged just rearwardly of the hinge pin 88, or substantially beneath the rearward end of the shank portion of the pad, and the other row being located substantially under the extreme heel end of the pad, this latter row, however, having no middle ear in order that the valve 56 may be suitably accommodated.

The two-part container 70, with the fluid-filled pad 60 mounted therein, is positioned upon the four compensating abutments i8, 26, 22 and 24 in such a position that the row of ears 82 beneath the extreme toe end of the pad rests upon the toe end abutment 18 while the other three rows of ears rest upon the remaining three abutments. The hinge pin 80 which connects the two sections of the container will thus lie over the gap between the two middle abutments 29 and 22, as shown in Fig. 1.

When a pad such as that illustrated herein is positioned upon the self-compensating abutments of a machine of the type disclosed in the Winkley patent referred to above, and is pressed against the bottom of a shoe by the operating mechanism of the machine to conform a sole on the shoe to the shape of the shoe bottom, the pressure of the pad against the shoe bottom is first applied in the region of the ball line of the shoe due to the fact that this portion of the shoe bottom is usually lower than either the toe or the heel end of the shoe. The downward pressure exerted by the shoe against the pad tends to urge that portion of the pad which is located just forwardly of the pin 89 downwardly and, since the pad container 70 is supported forwardly and rearwardly of this point by the self-compensating abutments I8, 20, 22 and 24, the two sections of the container Hi can pivot about the pin 88 to allow the forepart portion of the pad to assume an upwardly inclined position which coincides precisely with the upwardly canted forepart of the shoe bottom and, likewise, to al-' low the shank and heel portion of the pad to be tipped or canted properly to lie closely against the shank portion of the sole. The self-compensating abutments are thus moved relatively to each other heightwise of the pad as the pressure between the shoe and the pad increases thereby distributing the pressure substantially evenly over the entire shoe bottom. Since the abutments move relatively to each other, and since two sec tions of the container 10 move about the hinge pin 80, the rounded ears 82 and 84 on the bottom of the container will roll somewhat on the abutments so that effective contact between the abutments and ears is always maintained.

When the full pressure of the machine is applied to the shoe bottom, the forepart and the shank and heel portions of the pad will thus be caused to pivot about the pin 80 into an angle corresponding approximately to the angle between the forepart and the shank and heel portions of the shoe. The fluid in the pad will then distribute itself throughout the pad sufliciently to allow the various portions of the sole-engaging surface of the pad to sink or rise the small'additional amounts necessary to press all portions of the sole engaged by the pad against the shoe bottom with substantially uniform pressure. Since the pad 6!) of the present construction is housed in a two-part container each section of which may pivot freely about a common horizontal axis to permit the pad to conform readily to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom, and since the container itself is supported upon self-compensating abutments which automatically operate to force each section of the container toward the shoe with substantially equal pressure, it will be seen that, by incorporating in" this construction a fluid-filled pad also adapted to accommodate itself to a certain extent to the contour of the shoe bottom, there is gitudinal contour of the shoe bottom, and means separate from the container for supporting said container during the pressing operation, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to cause said sections to adapt themselves to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom.

2. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, means for engaging a shoe, a fluid-filled pad for pressing a sole against the bottom of the shoe, a container for said pad, said container comprising a pair of sections pivotally connected together and movable about their pivot to cause the pad to conform substantially to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom, and means for supporting said container, said means being constructed and'ar'ranged upon en- 0 gagement of the pad with the shoe bottom to effect relative movement of the sections about their pivot.

3. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, means for engaging a shoe, a fluid-filled pad for pressing a sole against the bottom of the shoe, a container for said pad, said container comprising a pair of sections pivotally connected together and movable about their pivot to permit the pad to coniorm'substantially to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom, means for relatively moving the shoe-engaging means and the container to press the :pad' against the shoe bottom, and mechanism :constructed and arranged'upon engagement of the pad with the shoe bottom to effect relative movement of the sections of the oontainerabout their pivot thereby conforming the pad to the shape of the shoe bottom, said mechanism acting to move both sections of the container with substantially equal force against the shoe bottom during the pressing operation.

4. A sole-pressing machine havingin combination, means for engaging a shoe, a fluid-filled pad for pressing a sole against the bottom of the shoe, a container for said pad comprising sections movable relatively to each other, means for supporting said container, said means including members engaging each section of :thecontainer and movable height-wise of the pad in response to pressure from the container, and mechanism interconnecting the supporting -members so that heightwise movement of some of the members in response to pressure from the container will efiect heightwise movement of other members to maintain all of said members in engagement with the sections of the container during the sole-pressing operation.

5. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, means for engaging a shoe, a fluid-filled pad for pressing a sole against the bottom of the shoe, a support for said pad, said support having sections movable relatively to each other, means for forcing each section of the support toward the shoe to press the pad against the shoe bottom, and mechanism for equalizing the pressure applied to each section of the support.

6. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, means for engaging a shoe, .a fiuidefilled pad for pressing a sole against the bottom of the shoe, a container for said .pad, said container comprising relatively -movable sections pivotally connected together, means for relatively moving the shoe-engaging means and the container to press the pad against the shoe bottom, and mechanism constructed and arranged upon engagement of the pad with the shoe bottom to equalize the pressure on each section of the container thereby to assist the fluid-filled pad in distributing the pressure substantially uniformly over the shoe bottom.

'7. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, means for engaging a shoe, a fluid-filled pad for pressing a sole against the bottom of the shoe, a two-part container for said pad, the parts of said container being hinged together at the central portion thereof so that the container can conform more closely to the bottom contour of the shoe being operated upon, meansfor supporting the container and for forcing it toward the shoe to press the pad against the shoe bottom, and mechanism carried by the. supporting means for causing the two parts of the container to be forced toward'the shoe with substantially equal pressure thereby to assist in equalizing the pressure applied by the fluid-filled pad to the different portions of the shoe bottom.

8. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, means for engaging a shoe, a fluid-filled pad for pressing a sole against the bottom of the shoe, a container for holding said pad, said container comprising a pair of sections hinged together substantially at the forward end of the shank portion of the pad to permit the latter to conform tothe spring of the last in the shoe being operated upon, a box for supporting said container, means for relatively moving the box and the shoe-engaging means to press the pad against the shoe bottom, and mechanism in the box for causing the fiuid-fiilled pad to apply substantially the same amount of pressure -to all portions of the shoe bottom, said mechanism comprising a plurality of abutments movable heightwise relatively to each other and arranged to engaged each section of the container, and :connections between said abutments whereby heightwise movement of one abutment in one direction effects heightwise movement of another abutment in an opposite direction.

9. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, means for engaging ashoe, a fiuid-fiilled pad for'pressinga sole against the shoe bottom, a container for said pad, said container having relatively movable sections pivotally connected to each other to permit the pad to conform closely to the longitudinal contour of the bottom of the shoe being operated upon, means for moving the container forcibly toward the shoe to press the pad against the shoe bottom, and mechanism carried by the moving means for equalizing the pressure applied by said means to each section of the container thereby to assist the pad in distributing the pressure substantially evenly over the entire shoe bottom, said mechanism comprising separate members relatively movable heightwise of the shoe and arranged to engage difierentsections of the container, and connections between said members for controlling the heightwise movement of each member relatively to the heightwise movement of another member.

10. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, means for engaging a shoe, a fluid-filled pad for pressing a sole against the bottom of the shoe, a container for holding the pad, said container comprising two sections arranged to pivot freely about a common horizontal axis located substantially at the ball line-of the shoe to be operated upon, thereby allowing the pad to conform more closely-to the angle between the forepart and the shank and heel portions of the shoe bottom, a box for supporting said container, means for moving the box and container toward the shoe to press the pad against the shoe bottom, and pressure-distributing mechanism in the box for engaging both sections of the container and moving them yieldingly toward the shoe with substantially equal force thereby causing the pad to apply pressure which is distributed substantially uniformly over the shoe bottom, said mechanism including a pair of abutments relatively movable heightwise of the pad for engaging one section of the container and a similar pair of abutments for engaging the other section of the container, the abutments of each pair being interconnected so that heightwise movement of one abutmentin one direction will 6 produce a heightwise movement of the other'in an opposite direction, said pairs of abutments being interconnected so that heightwise movement of one pair in one direction will produce a heightwise movement of the other pair in an opposite direction.

FRED RICKS. 

